Supporting Campus Safety Initiatives

Invest in Security that Supports Student Success

A strong sense of safety allows students to focus on what matters most — learning, growing, and connecting with their peers. Your gift helps provide the tools and technology that keep our community secure and thriving, from card-access systems to upgraded equipment. Together, we ensure McDaniel remains a place where confidence and care go hand in hand.

Give to Campus Safety

Supporting Campus Safety Initiatives

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Campus Safety is a key component to community building. Safe spaces help students feel at ease in their surroundings, allow them to focus on their academic and co-curricular priorities, and support community building as students get to know their peers. It is also a critical component of successfully recruiting new students, who cite safety as a top priority in their college search.

Upgrades that enhance campus safety have a ripple effect across campus — more than simply physical improvements, these investments contribute to the vibrant and warm campus experience our students deserve.

In addition to general campus safety improvements, the college plans to invest in specific campus safety tools such as:

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Card Swipe Access Entry to Buildings

($25,000-$100,000)

Upgrading to secure card swipe entry ensures that only authorized individuals can access campus facilities, giving students peace of mind as they go about their day. These systems not only improve safety but also offer convenience and modern functionality for students, faculty, and staff — a vital upgrade for an open, yet secure, learning environment.

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Patrol Sports Utility Vehicle

($50,000)

A reliable, well-equipped patrol vehicle enhances the visibility and responsiveness of campus safety officers. It enables faster emergency response times, supports proactive monitoring, and symbolizes McDaniel’s commitment to maintaining a secure campus atmosphere day and night.

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Campus Surveillance Cameras

($30,000)

Strategically placed cameras improve visibility across campus, deterring crime and supporting safety monitoring in high-traffic areas. This technology strengthens the partnership between the college and local law enforcement, reinforcing accountability while helping students feel protected wherever they are on campus.

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Residence Halls Automatic Door Openers: $10,000

($10,000)

Automatic door openers make residential spaces more accessible and secure for all students, particularly those with mobility challenges. These upgrades promote independence, inclusivity, and safety — ensuring every student can enter and exit their residence with ease and confidence.

Safety investments go far beyond hardware or technology — they nurture trust and connection within the campus community. By enhancing security measures and accessibility, McDaniel creates an environment where students can focus on what truly matters: learning, growing, and building lifelong relationships.

The Ripple Effects of Consistent Giving

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HONORING OUR 2025 FOUNDERS AWARD WINNERS

Barbara Payne Shelton ’70 and Gordon Shelton ’68 were both attending graduate school in the 1970s, living mostly off Barbara’s stipend, when they were approached for the first time by staff at McDaniel College about making a gift to the annual fund.

“At the time, we were spending about $15 per week on groceries, so a $25 gift was fairly substantial for us at that point in our lives,” Barbara says about the first gift they made to their alma mater. “We haven’t missed a year of giving since.”

While they have long since made the transition from annual giving to major gifts, the Sheltons — the recipients of the 2025 Founders Award — are proof that what may seem like small gifts can add up over time.

“We were honored to be recognized as this year’s Founders Award winners, but we did think twice about accepting the honor,” Barbara says. “Ultimately, we thought that maybe it would motivate some of our peers and friends to give more to the college.”

And the Sheltons know that while all alumni may not be able to give at the Founders Society level, they reinforce that every gift — of time, talent, or treasure — has the potential to change a student’s life.

“One of the things that has always made me want to give back to the college is because it gave so much to me.”— Barbara Shelton ’70

“You never know when you’re going to bump into somebody who might be interested in the college or might have money that they’re looking to donate somewhere,” Barbara says. “I can’t tell you how often my McDaniel tag on my car has started conversations with prospective students and their families.”

The motivation behind the Sheltons’ decades-long giving track record? “If you enjoy something, let it show,” says Gordon. “It will in turn nourish you as well. Barbara and I both have a variety of educational experience, but McDaniel was the best by a mile.”

Both Sheltons say the community they found on the Hill is a major contributor to their continued engagement with the college. Gordon has been a volunteer class reporter for The Hill magazine since 1975, and anyone who has read his Class of 1968 column knows the lore of The Crab Guys. Each month, a group of about 10 (or more) classmates from the late 1960s and early 1970s get together to catch up over crabs and Natty Bohs.

“Forming small groups and staying connected with classmates over decades is so special and fun in this community,” Gordon says. “It encourages people to contribute and remember the good stuff.”

The future of McDaniel under the Reaching New Heights campaign is going to be bright. And we’re proud to play a role in that success. ”

GORDON SHELTON ’68

As for Barbara, she has been a member of the Round Robins since her first year on the Hill, when she met her lifelong best friends in McDaniel Hall. She was a founding member of the original McDaniel Women’s Leadership Network, which has recently been revitalized under President Julia Jasken’s leadership, and has served on the college’s Board of Trustees since 2009. “One of the things that has always made me want to give back to the college is because it gave so much to me,” she says.

Over six decades, the Sheltons have prioritized philanthropy to the college, but they have diversified their giving to many different causes on the Hill. From the McDaniel Women’s Leadership Network Endowed Scholarship Fund to The Shelton Adjunct Faculty Recognition Endowed Fund, one-off gifts to capital projects like the Roj Student Center and the Home on the Hill food pantry, or The Gordon ’68 and Barbara Payne ’70 Shelton Student Research Fund, their giving has touched students and faculty in myriad ways. But they say the gifts that have meant the most to them have been those designated for scholarships.

“A lot of our friends at the college were on scholarships, myself included, and it made us realize that there were a lot of people who couldn’t have the McDaniel opportunity if somebody didn’t help them,” Barbara says. “So, giving to the college — and especially to scholarships — is a way to pay it backward and pay it forward at the same time.”

“The future of McDaniel under the Reaching New Heights campaign is going to be bright,” Gordon says. “And we’re proud to play a role in that success.”

President Jasken presented Barbara Payne Shelton ’70 and Gordon Shelton ’68 with the 2025 Founders Award at the 2025 Founders Society Gala.

At the 2023 Scholarship Luncheon, Barbara Payne Shelton ’70 served on a panel alongside scholarship recipients Stephani Portillo ’23 and Destiny Edwards ’24.

Finding Fulfillment in Volunteerism on the Hill

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WHY ALUM OF THE YEAR NUPUR PAREKH FLYNN ’94 THINKS THE SKY IS THE LIMIT FOR McDANIEL STUDENTS

Entrepreneur, philanthropist, and 2025 Alum of the Year Nupur Parekh Flynn ’94 says that generosity is simply a part of her DNA. Whether that’s through her service on the McDaniel College Board of Trustees from 2007 until 2011, her work with United Way of Central Maryland, her tenure as a trustee of the Baltimore Museum of Art, her stints coming back to the Hill as a guest lecturer, or serving as a mentor for the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Challenge, Flynn says that giving back in whatever ways she can “is just the most fulfilling part of life.”

Flynn is the founding owner and CEO of Nupur LLC and the inventor of BAGCEIT®, a portable seat for purses and bags of all types designed to keep them off the floor and unsanitary surfaces. The recipient of the 2020 Alumni Community Service Award, Flynn remains committed to giving back — both to her community and to McDaniel students. She was named the college’s 2025 Alum of the Year for her commitment to supporting McDaniel’s life-changing educational mission and programming.

The most recent opportunity Flynn had to see this firsthand was at the 2025 Innovation and Entrepreneurship Challenge, where she served as the alumni mentor for senior Sana Askari. Askari is a Political Science, Business Administration, and Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies major from Ghazni, Afghanistan. Her pitch was for Esheel, a social enterprise that supports women refugees by providing employment opportunities through their skill in creating hand-embroidered scarves and earrings, using embroidery techniques indigenous to and deeply rooted in Hazara culture.

Flynn recalls being “blown away” by Askari’s story, poise, and passion for her work, and was thrilled to see her take home the first-place prize and tie for the People’s Choice prize at the competition, “not because of my advice, that’s for sure,” she says.

Askari would disagree with that sentiment.

“My alumni mentor, Nupur, who brings an international perspective, was especially helpful in guiding me through the different aspects and importance of registering Esheel,” Askari says. “Her insights not only strengthened my presentation but also provided valuable direction for my work moving forward. She transferred a lot of her business knowledge to me that I will cherish forever.”

I’m so excited for those of us who are going to be the recipients of this generation’s innovation, ingenuity, and fearlessness that is being fostered at McDaniel. ”

NUPUR PAREKH FLYNN ’94
FORMER TRUSTEE & 2025 ALUM OF THE YEAR

Flynn and Askari’s mentoring meetings were conducted virtually, and while Flynn could not attend the competition in person, she watched the event via livestream. She recalls being impressed by all the students competing for the top prize, marveling that they were “light-years ahead of where I was at that age. I didn’t start my own company or invent anything until I was already retired from my career in finance and in my mid-40s. These students are doing it now as young adults.”

Flynn credits McDaniel with putting the effort into connecting current students with alumni mentors who can help them find their path, but she emphasizes that in many ways, the alumni stand to gain more than the students from these relationships.

“When I volunteer at McDaniel, I hope I’m engaging to the students, but I know that I am super engaged by them,” Flynn says. “I’m the true winner in these interactions, and I’m so excited for those of us who are going to be the recipients of this generation’s innovation, ingenuity, and fearlessness that is being fostered at McDaniel.”

She looks forward to more opportunities to connect with students on the Hill, and encourages her fellow alumni to think about the ways they can give back, whether that is with time, talent, or treasure.

“To help the Reaching New Heights campaign succeed — to help McDaniel succeed — you don’t have to know what the operating budget is or what capital projects cost,” Flynn says. “You just have to understand how you can connect with your alma mater and how you can touch another person’s life by supporting McDaniel.”

Support for Academic Chairs and Professorships

Investing in Excellence: Empowering Faculty Leadership

Endowed chairs and professorships honor the heart of McDaniel’s mission — extraordinary faculty who inspire curiosity, discovery, and lifelong learning. Your investment helps the college attract and retain accomplished educators and researchers who shape the next generation of thinkers and leaders. Together, we can ensure that McDaniel remains a place where teaching excellence and academic innovation thrive for generations to come.

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Support for Academic Chairs and Professorships

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Academic endowed chairs and professorships help the college attract and retain outstanding teachers and scholars. They also serve as ways of attracting prospective students and their families who research the academic strengths of the schools they visit.

Types of Endowed Faculty Support

Named Endowed Distinguished Chairs

Among the highest honors a faculty member can receive, a Distinguished Chair recognizes exceptional teaching, scholarship, and leadership. These prestigious positions provide significant, ongoing support for academic research and innovation.

Named Endowed Chair

Endowed Chairs honor outstanding faculty and help attract and retain top scholars in their fields. The income from these endowed funds supports teaching, research, and program development within a specific discipline.

Named Endowed Professorships

Endowed Professorships provide vital resources for faculty to advance their scholarship and mentor students. These positions strengthen academic programs and ensure McDaniel remains competitive in recruiting and supporting exceptional educators.

Current Needs by Discipline

McDaniel College seeks endowed chairs and professorships in the following areas:

Biology

Chemistry

Data Analytics

Environmental Studies

Kinesiology and Health Sciences

Nursing

Occupational Therapy

Physics

Speech-Language Pathology

What is an Endowed Faculty Position?

An endowed faculty position is one that is permanently funded through a dedicated investment — a gift whose principal remains intact while the annual earnings support the faculty member’s salary, research, and academic initiatives.

Unlike regular faculty positions funded through the college’s annual operating budget, endowed positions provide lasting financial stability and ensure that academic excellence endures for generations 

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Supporting Student-Faculty Research

Expanding Access to Transformational Undergraduate Research

Every contribution helps McDaniel students gain real-world experience through hands-on research guided by exceptional faculty mentors. Your support fuels the projects that spark curiosity, creativity, and confidence — empowering students to turn their ideas into impact. Together, we can ensure that every aspiring scholar has the opportunity to explore, discover, and thrive.

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Supporting Faculty-Student Research

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Research contributes directly to the body of scientific knowledge and to the academic reputation and prestige of McDaniel College. Often, faculty and students work collaboratively to explore specific topics of interest to both faculty and students.

Through mentoring, oversight, and assistance in disseminating results at conferences and in publications, faculty introduce students to the academic profession, define and demonstrate expectations, and teach the values of participating in a scholarly community.

Support opportunities are many and varied, spanning all disciplines on the Hill.

Ways to Give

Student-faculty research funds offer donors the chance to directly support hands-on learning and mentorship opportunities that define the McDaniel experience.

  • Named Research Funds Begin At: $25,000
  • Annual Commitment Option: $5,000 annually for five years
  • Fund Types: Endowed | Current-Use | Hybrid

Named funds may be established in honor or memory of a beloved family member, faculty member, classmate, or yourself — making it possible for every donor to leave a lasting legacy of learning.

Establish a Research Fund

Make Your Mark Through
Student-Faculty Research

Named research funds aren’t just for major donors — they’re an attainable way for alumni at any stage to invest in McDaniel’s academic future.

With options starting at $5,000 annually, your gift can create a lasting impact by supporting hands-on research and mentorship that define the McDaniel experience.

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SPOTLIGHT

Student-Faculty Collaborative Summer Research Program

A culminating experience for many students is the Student-Faculty Collaborative Summer Research Program.

Participation in this program is career-changing for many students, allowing them to compete for jobs at top employers and earn admission to graduate schools such as Johns Hopkins University and University of Maryland.

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Students receive a stipend to immerse themselves in externally funded research projects.
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During the summer, they work side-by-side with faculty, graduate students, and peers in labs, seminars, and workshops.
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Participants present their work at a closing symposium, often going on to publish papers or present at national conferences.
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Travel funding for these experiences is often supported by departmental funds and generous donor contributions.
Having an opportunity to dive into research experiences has been incredible — whether through literature review papers or performing hands-on research, I’ve learned that there is so much potential in research. Questions spur others and it was really cool to learn about diverse topics such as the effect of telomerase on mice physiology and neurology, and the filtration capabilities of marine sponges! ”

Mackenzie McCarter ’25